Posted on 05/05/2007 1:39:10 PM PDT by Cincinna
PARIS, May 5, 2007 (AFP) - More than 3,000 police will be deployed in Paris and its suburbs to head off the threat of violence after Sunday's presidential election in France, police officials said Saturday.
Railway stations will be under high surveillance in case gangs of youths travel to the capital to disrupt victory festivities.
"There are no advance signs and we have no special information, but we are keeping a close watch on the suburbs, and we've also got our eye on the radical movements of the far-left," an official said on condition of anonymity.
There are fears that a victory for right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy could spark unrest in the poor high-immigration neighbourhoods that were the scene of riots in 2005.
Sarkozy, who was interior minister at the time, is a hate figure for many young people of black and Arab origin. He has also been vilified as a hard-right authoritarian by many on the left.
On Friday Sarkozy's opponent Socialist Segolene Royal warned of "violence and brutalities that will be triggered across the country" if he wins.
Sarkozy, 52, who heads the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), is seen as the clear favourite in Sunday's election.
Aides said there will be a celebration in the Place de la Concorde in central Paris if Sarkozy wins.
In addition to riot police, thousands of regular police men and women and plain-clothes officers will be on patrol.
Damn! What’s she going to do with 3,000 police? Can the internet even hold all that porn and spam about the porn?
Things I did not need to know.
Please appease and placate the “youths” (cough) who have already caused mass destruction in the streets of France...vote for Segolene! Great platform there.
Just think of all the euros they’d save if they’d just round up all the Islamists and retreaded communists!
Are they insane? Paris is unsafe. Is THAT not a sign?
How about Marseilles?
One of the problems that the French have is that very few cities have any local municiple police departments, and the few who do, like Nice, saw Paris take their guns away in ‘98.
The Gendarmes and the CRS are under-manned (and don’t really do anything anyways except ONCE the riots start).
PARIS, May 5, 2007 (AFP) - Public celebrations will be held on the Place de la Concorde in central Paris if right-wing favourite Nicolas Sarkozy wins the presidential election Sunday, an aide to the candidate said Saturday.
French rock-star Johnny Hallyday and other show business supporters of Sarkozy will perform at what was described as a "great people's party".
The Place de la Concorde is a vast esplanade beside the river Seine at the end of the Champs-Elysees. It was famously the spot where King Louis XVI and hundreds of others were executed in the Revolution.
” Socialist Smegmalene Royal warned of “violence and brutalities that will be triggered across the country”
Anyone know how many people it can hold?
Yep, and she still will never have a clue to why she lost this election.
You’ve been doing a fabulous job, keeping FR supplied with up-to-date info re: this crucial election. We readers owe you a big, collective “thank you!” ;)
THANKS, for the posts. :D
It really is breath-takingly huge.
I just went for a walk with my husband Thursday night and we both were amazed at the size!
We had never come at the ‘Place’ from the rive gauche and it’s impressive. A million sounds realistic.
I have been too busy to do much FReeping lately, but I'm glad that some of the images I created are being kept alive by folks like you. Here is the larger version:
Thank you so much.
Thank you all for all your input and contributions.
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